Meanings
plural caltrops
- engineeringA metal object, usually small, with spikes arranged so that, when thrown onto the ground, one always faces up as a threat to pedestrians, horses, and vehicles (also used as a heraldic charge).
[…] her father, the emperor Alexius, who reigned AD 1081-1118, ordered caltrops to be cast in front of his archers […]
1858, The journal of the British Archaeological Association2 more examples
By Sung times, several different types of caltrops had been developed. As in earlier times, both caltrops could be made from both wood and iron...
1954, Joseph Needham, Ling Wang, Science and civilisation in ChinaCaltrops, tetrahedrons, and similar devices are designed to puncture vehicle tires or limit foot traffic. The standard design has four points.
2000, Alan Vick, Aerospace operations in urban environments: exploring new conceptsSynonyms: crow's foot, crowfoot, jackrock, cheval trap
- Any of a number of flowering plants in the family Zygophyllaceae, including several members of the genus Kallstroemia and the species Tribulus terrestris, native to warm temperate and tropical regions.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA metal object, usually small, with spikes arranged so that, when thrown onto the ground, one always faces up as a threat to pedestrians, horses, and vehicles (also used as a heraldic charge).
nounThe starthistle, Centaurea calcitrapa, a plant with sharp thorns.
More synonyms by meaning
nountropical annual procumbent poisonous subshrub having fruit that splits into five spiny nutlets; serious pasture weed
nouna plant of the genus Trapa bearing spiny four-pronged edible nutlike fruits
nounMediterranean annual or biennial herb having pinkish to purple flowers surrounded by spine-tipped scales; naturalized in America
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latincalx
- Medieval Latincalcatrippa“thistle”
- Old Englishcalcatrippe
- Middle Englishcalketrappe
- Englishcaltrop
From Middle English calketrappe, from Old English calcatrippe, from Medieval Latin calcatrippa (“thistle”), from Latin calx or calcare (“to tread”) + trappa (“trap”).
More words from Middle English, Old English, Medieval Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek τρίβολος
- τρίβολος (tríbolos)weaponry
Arabic حَسَك, حَسَك
- حَسَك (ḥasak)weaponry
- حَسَك (ḥasak)Tribulus terrestris
Bulgarian бодлива метличина, бабини зъби
- бодлива метличина (bodliva metličina)starthistle
- бабини зъби (babini zăbi)Tribulus terrestris
Catalan obriülls, obriülls
- obriüllsweaponry
- obriüllsstarthistle
- cagatripastarthistle
- card vermellstarthistle
- tríbolTribulus terrestris
Chinese Mandarin 蒺藜, 紫星薊 /紫星蓟
- 蒺藜 (jílí)weaponry
- 紫星薊 /紫星蓟 (zǐxīngjì)starthistle
- 蒺藜 (jílí)Tribulus terrestris
Dutch voetangel, kraaienpoot
- voetangelweaponry
- kraaienpootweaponry
- kalketripstarthistle
Finnish jalkapiikki, kavioansa
- jalkapiikkiweaponry
- kavioansaweaponry
- piikkikaunokkistarthistle
- okarennokkiTribulus terrestris
French chausse-trape, pied de corbeau
- chausse-trapeweaponry
- pied de corbeauweaponry
- centaurée chausse-trapestarthistle
- chardon étoiléstarthistle
- tribule terrestreTribulus terrestris
German Krähenfuß, Fußangel
- Krähenfußweaponry
- Fußangelweaponry
Hungarian vassulyom, lábtövis
- vassulyomweaponry
- lábtövisweaponry
- úti imolastarthistle
- királydinnyeTribulus terrestris
Irish grán catha
- grán cathaweaponry
Italian tribolo, piede di corvo
- triboloweaponry
- piede di corvoweaponry
- tribulo comuneTribulus terrestris
Japanese 鉄菱, ハマビシ
- 鉄菱 (tetsubishi)weaponry
- ハマビシ (hamabishi)Tribulus terrestris
Korean 마름쇠
- 마름쇠 (mareumsoe)weaponry
Latin mūrex, tribulus
- mūrexweaponry
- tribulusweaponry
- tribulusTribulus terrestris
Persian خارخاسک
- خارخاسک (xâr-xâsak)Tribulus terrestris
Polish kolczatka, chaber kolący
- kolczatkaweaponry
- chaber kolącystarthistle
- buzdyganek naziemnyTribulus terrestris
Portuguese abrolho, estrepe
- abrolhoweaponry
- estrepeweaponry
- miguelitoweaponry
- abrolhostarthistle
- abrolhoTribulus terrestris
Romanian colții-babei
- colții-babeiTribulus terrestris
Russian чесно́к, про́волочный ёж
- чесно́к (česnók)weaponry
- про́волочный ёж (próvoločnyj jož)weaponry
- василёк колючеголо́вый (vasiljók koljučegolóvyj)starthistle
- я́корец сте́лющийся (jákorec stéljuščijsja)Tribulus terrestris
- я́корец назе́мный (jákorec nazémnyj)Tribulus terrestris
Spanish abrojo, encojaperros
- abrojoweaponry
- encojaperrosstarthistle
- garbanzo del curastarthistle
- abrojo terrestreTribulus terrestris
- cadilloTribulus terrestris
- cuerno de chivoTribulus terrestris
- tribuloTribulus terrestris
- cruz maltesaTribulus terrestris
Swedish fotangel
- fotangelweaponry
Tamil நெருஞ்சி, நெருஞ்சில்
- நெருஞ்சி (neruñci)Tribulus terrestris
- நெருஞ்சில் (neruñcil)Tribulus terrestris
- கிட்டிரம் (kiṭṭiram)Tribulus terrestris
Thai ขวาก
- ขวาก (kwàak)weaponry
Turkish demir dikeni, çobançökerten
- demir dikeniweaponry
- çobançökertenTribulus terrestris
- demir dikeniTribulus terrestris
Vietnamese chông sắt
- chông sắtweaponry
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
caltrop. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/caltrop
“caltrop.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/caltrop. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “caltrop,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/caltrop.
Source: caltrop on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.